I love all of Tolkien's writing, and I believe that the Lord of the Rings is the best fictional work written in modern times, with the possible exception of the Silmarillion. And of course, getting this out of the way is a prelude to me getting ready to criticize a specific aspect of Tolkien's legendarium that I am not particularly fond of.
The Numenoreans (and elves, although they do not play as large of a role in LoTR) are always held on a pedestal throughout the work. This is understandable, as both races have experiences (directly for the elves, and through their ancestors for the Numenoreans) higher things, greater civilizations than those that are in Middle-Earth. But, as an American and a firm believer that all men are created equal, I find the fact that the Numenoreans are always elevated over more "regular men" a little unattractive if not downright offensive.
The Rohirrim are a perfect example of a more normal race of men that Tolkien tends to consider "secondary" to the Numenoreans. Actually, all said, I tend to like the Rohirrim presented in the story better than most of the elves and the Numenoreans. Those two races are always so grave, so bent on the past that the present and the future doesn't always seem to be of the essence.
The Rohirrim, on the other hand, do not have so much of the past to remember, so they live in the present, they look to the future instead of the past as the ancient races do. Their battle ready nature is often emphasized, but many people forget that this was tempered by mercy, as the men of Dunland found out at Helm's Deep. And also, there is the fact that the Rohirrim are for the most part very down to earth and kind. Look at the way Theoden treated Merry. He treated him like a father would treat a son, with kindness and gentleness, without much apparent reason for doing so except his good nature. Contrast this with Denethor's treatment of Pippin (before he lost it at the end.) He was polite,but always grave and detached. Maybe the Rohirrim are less noble in some respects, but they also seem like a much happier people.
And there can be no debate that the Rohirrim are as brave in battle as any race. One reading of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields shows us that the bravery of Eowyn, Eomer, and Theoden is no less than that of any Numenorean, not even Aragorn. So why does Tolkien always have the Rohirrim play second fiddle? Why are the Numenoreans the "high" race of men, while the Rohirrim are the men of the twilight? The Rohirrim are the ones that kept fighting while most of the soldiers of Gondor were quaking in fear behind close gates. It simply does not make any sense to me, and in my opinion it is really one of only a few significant taints in an incredible work. It's not like it even comes close to ruining my enjoyment of Tolkien's writing, but it just seems to me an unpleasant sub-current.
Thoughts?
The Numenoreans (and elves, although they do not play as large of a role in LoTR) are always held on a pedestal throughout the work. This is understandable, as both races have experiences (directly for the elves, and through their ancestors for the Numenoreans) higher things, greater civilizations than those that are in Middle-Earth. But, as an American and a firm believer that all men are created equal, I find the fact that the Numenoreans are always elevated over more "regular men" a little unattractive if not downright offensive.
The Rohirrim are a perfect example of a more normal race of men that Tolkien tends to consider "secondary" to the Numenoreans. Actually, all said, I tend to like the Rohirrim presented in the story better than most of the elves and the Numenoreans. Those two races are always so grave, so bent on the past that the present and the future doesn't always seem to be of the essence.
The Rohirrim, on the other hand, do not have so much of the past to remember, so they live in the present, they look to the future instead of the past as the ancient races do. Their battle ready nature is often emphasized, but many people forget that this was tempered by mercy, as the men of Dunland found out at Helm's Deep. And also, there is the fact that the Rohirrim are for the most part very down to earth and kind. Look at the way Theoden treated Merry. He treated him like a father would treat a son, with kindness and gentleness, without much apparent reason for doing so except his good nature. Contrast this with Denethor's treatment of Pippin (before he lost it at the end.) He was polite,but always grave and detached. Maybe the Rohirrim are less noble in some respects, but they also seem like a much happier people.
And there can be no debate that the Rohirrim are as brave in battle as any race. One reading of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields shows us that the bravery of Eowyn, Eomer, and Theoden is no less than that of any Numenorean, not even Aragorn. So why does Tolkien always have the Rohirrim play second fiddle? Why are the Numenoreans the "high" race of men, while the Rohirrim are the men of the twilight? The Rohirrim are the ones that kept fighting while most of the soldiers of Gondor were quaking in fear behind close gates. It simply does not make any sense to me, and in my opinion it is really one of only a few significant taints in an incredible work. It's not like it even comes close to ruining my enjoyment of Tolkien's writing, but it just seems to me an unpleasant sub-current.
Thoughts?
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